8 ms·

The Best To-Do List: A Private Gist

146 points by Ashuu 13y ago

city41 13y ago
I'm also a huge fan of todo lists. I like the simplicity of this approach. I still feel like Trello is better though. Trello is almost perfect. It's heavier for sure, but you gain a ton of flexibility and power. My wife and I put an old iPad up on our fridge and use Trello to maintain needed groceries, chores, household repairs, and upcoming events. Even better, these lists automatically sync to our phones and PCs. I can just head to the grocery store whenever I have a free moment and my grocery list is always up to date and ready for me.
- pc86 13y ago
  What do you use to keep the iPad on the fridge? We’ve been looking for a way to repurpose an old one of ours and this may be perfect.
  - city41 13y ago
    We bought this: -- http://www.ebay.com/itm/Combo-Magnetic-Refrigerator-Fridge-Wall-Mount-Bracket-Dock-iPad-Gen-1-2-3-4-/310577417397?pt=US_Tablet_eReader_Mounts_Stands_Holders&hash=item484fdb4cb5 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Combo-Magnetic-Refrigerator-Fridge-W... but, the brackets are a bit too small, so the iPad doesn't fully sit well. The iPad does stay put and hasn't fallen yet, but I'd recommend trying another brand.
  - aidenn0 13y ago
    Any old iPad mount you have, combined with good rare-earth magnets and a hot-glue gun.
- Major_Grooves 13y ago
  I just saved a bunch of Trello/GTD articles to my Evernote for reading on the train in a desperate attempt to have a decent to-do list for both personal, but mainly collaborative business use in 2014. Any tips?
  - cenhyperion 13y ago
    1. Read Getting Things Done. It will change the way you look at approaching tasks. 2. Clear, approachable goals. "Ship the website" isn't something you can just do, "write unit tests for deletion of users" is. One of my favorite features of Trello is a checklist on a card, it allows you to break down actions into very defined actionable items. 3. Have a list of things you're going to take an action on today.
  - scpotter 13y ago
    Focus on yourself first (personal and business aspects). That has more long term value, will contribute to your side of the collaboration improving, and puts you in a better position to scale to-dos. Read GTD. It will inspire you and provide a path to success, walking you through creating meaningful todo lists. Many become devout followers, but for me just the basics and patterns were great to build on. There are concepts similar to the 'backlog' from scrum/XP, where you add a placeholder for every idea or task even very large ones, but only flesh out and break down into actionable items the near term / high value items. Don't focus on tools, pen and paper are adequate, anything else is gravy. I use a location aware reminder app for short term/scheduled to-dos (iOS reminders, but before that Remember the Milk for years). The rest of the backlog and all details are in Evernote. Both are synced to all my devices (phone, ipad, laptop, etc) and available offline. If I were trying to achieve your goal I would set a recurring weekday reminder when I arrived at the train station in the morning called "GTD". Just enough to remind me what I need to do. In evernote I'd have a folder with a todo list, plus all the notes/articles. Every day I would get on the train, review my todo app, see GTD at the top, open evernote to that todo, review/prioritize it and make as many happen as possible. The todo list I'd start with would be: Buy GTD Read GTD Create todo for reading/implementing GTD Read / delete pointless articles Find todo apps Create more todo lists
thrush 13y ago
This is great, simple and easy. I wish that it didn't save a revision every time you checked an item. I'm more interested in keeping revisions on how my list items change. Granted, there could be some value in knowing when I completed items, but that being said, when you check an item is not necessarily when it was completed.
gkoberger 13y ago
For me, it's still paper. Specifically, this paper: http://www.amazon.com/Strathmore-Visual-Journal--Mixed-Media/dp/B003YIZ0HI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1388688389&sr=8-4&keywords=mixed+media+paper http://www.amazon.com/Strathmore-Visual-Journal--Mixed-Media... The spiral bound means it can be left open to the right page, and the thick paper is great. Version control (new pages) is built in. And the best part is that it's always right there in front of me, and I can glance down.
- city41 13y ago
  Is it just an empty pad? Or is there something printed on the pages to give some structure?
  - flarg 13y ago
    Seems to 'just' thick paper that you can write on, paint on, stick things to - like a scrapbook (http://www.strathmoreartist.com/visual-journals.html http://www.strathmoreartist.com/visual-journals.html)
  - merijnv 13y ago
    For me it's just empty lined paper. I much prefer that to all these fancy solutions.
  - gkoberger 13y ago
    Empty pad -- I like it better that way. Sometimes my "TODO List" involves mockups or doodles, sometimes it involves sub-todo lists, etc. I like the flexibility. I also only use a red pen for checking things off. Not sure why; it just feels better.
- flarg 13y ago
  I agree - I've spent a lifetime trying to find the best to do solution (Microwriter Agenda, Psion 3, Palm, GTD, One Big Text File, David Seah's productivity tools, Superfocus, etc. etc.). Paper in the form of a hardbacked A4 notepad with context specific todo lists and a 2-week calendar seem to work well (inspired by GTD (for contexts), David Seah (for his obsession with functional paper) [1]) I'm also reliant on ZIM Desktop wiki [2] for the 'trusted system' for weekly review - of course, ZIM has a weird bug somewhere in the To Do list functionality that I've had to code around - so it's (not devastatingly) not as trustworthy... but that's life I guess Just trying out ActiveInbox [3] for managing Gmail better and seems to be working out nicely [1] http://davidseah.com/productivity-tools/ http://davidseah.com/productivity-tools/ [2] http://zim-wiki.org/ http://zim-wiki.org/ [3] http://www.activeinboxhq.com/index.php http://www.activeinboxhq.com/index.php
rza 13y ago
All the manual creation of checkboxes, deletion, and moving of tasks to me makes Gist far from "The Best" to-do list. Personally, I find the lighweight Google Tasks just fine, especially since there are many excellent mobile apps that sync with it and builtin support for multiple lists. I wish the URL for it was a bit more memorable though (https://mail.google.com/tasks/canvas?pli=1 https://mail.google.com/tasks/canvas?pli=1). The only thing missing is date completed, which I personally don't find very useful, but a calendar would probably be better if you want to keep track of that. Edit: Nevermind, it does save date completed.
Zikes 13y ago
I like that this is an option, and it's certainly a great option for some people, but calling it the "best" based on "it turns brackets into checkboxes!" is a bit of a stretch. I do think that gists could be an ideal platform for a more robust todo list, though. It could easily serve as a backend for todotxt [1], for example. [1] http://todotxt.com/ http://todotxt.com/
- carlsednaoui 13y ago
  Hi Zikes, author here: This is the best to-do list for me —given my current workflow. I'm in front of my browser with GitHub open 90% of the day and this option fits nicely with my day-to-day activities. That being said, I definitely think that the best to-do list depends on each person's workflow (the gist approach would be terrible for a real estate person that's always on the run, for example). Do you use http://todotxt.com/ http://todotxt.com/? I hadn't heard of it before, maybe it's worth giving it a shot :)
  - Zikes 13y ago
    Hi Carl! I think we're in agreement, I can see gists being ideal for many people, I just didn't plug in that mental "for me" in the title. I have used todotxt in the past and it served me very well. It was originally developed as a simple bash script by Gina Trapani (of Lifehacker fame) and became such a hit that a strong community of developers formed around it, creating interfaces into the todotxt format in a variety of languages and environments. The fact that it stores all of its data in a single (or series of) simple text file(s) is what makes it really great, as it becomes portable, human-readable, and modifiable if you should find yourself needing to interact with your todo list without any of the tools or scripts handy. Unfortunately I haven't had a very good track record of keeping up with any of the many todo list applications or variations that I've tried, but every time I decide to try again I start with todotxt.
- morganherlocker 13y ago
  I use the todo.txt cli and it is awesome. t add "complete the pricing mocks" t 1 pri A t do 1 Nice and simple, and I can always open it up in a text editor if I need to. I might write something similar at some point though that would work with csv instead of txt. It would be a bit easier to use with a text editor (since there is no special syntax other than the csv standard), and could be passed around to excel users.
outside1234 13y ago
I just use a file in Dropbox. That is devastatingly effective for me - available across devices and offline.
- carlsednaoui 13y ago
  I like this approach, will definitely give it a try. How do you structure your dropbox file? Is it a simple running list of tasks? (.txt)
  - outside1234 13y ago
    Yup - i have two files: work and personal and that's it. Just two files forces me to prioritize within these two spheres.
    - carlsednaoui 13y ago
      Interesting, I'll give this a go with my personal to-do (for that one I currently use a gdoc). Thanks for sharing!
- breakall 13y ago
  Agreed, this works great for notes, lists, etc. I keep notes in text files in my Dropbox -- on desktop, I use vim or SciTE, and on iOS I use the PlainText app to read/edit them.
davexunit 13y ago
Correction: The Best To-Do List: Org-Mode http://orgmode.org/ http://orgmode.org/
- Cacti 13y ago
  Combined with dropbox or some other remote storage and sync tool across multiple devices, this works wonders. There is an org-mode app for mobile devices as well. Of course people who dislike emacs might have a problem but it's quite hackable and there is nothing to keep one from associated .org files with emacs and using emacs just for todo lists (theres only about 5 or 8 commands in org-mode that you really have to know to be effective).
  - Ixiaus 13y ago
    I had problems with conflicting files in dropbox / google drive so I just have a single directory with all of my org files in it versioned with a private Github repo. For private stuff I just use the :crypt: keyword org extension to encrypt that entry with my GPG key...
  - CJefferson 13y ago
    I have always fancied learning org-mode, but I have had trouble finding a guide which doesn't assume I already know emacs. Do you have any suggestions?
    - Cacti 13y ago
      There are a couple links below but http://orgmode.org/worg/org-tutorials/org4beginners.html http://orgmode.org/worg/org-tutorials/org4beginners.html is also pretty good.
  - kro0ub 13y ago
    What's the accepted most mature Vim equivalent or clone for org mode? Is there any?
    - chops 13y ago
asb 13y ago
I've been using my own minamilist todo-list manager for the last couple of year: https://github.com/asb/sh-todo https://github.com/asb/sh-todo However I've recently found I want to have some sort of task hierarchy, and to associate notes with tasks. I was going to just extend my text-based file format but luckily came across taskpaper which is pretty much exactly what I was aiming for. I'm now playing with taskpaper.vim and finding it promising: <https://github.com/davidoc/taskpaper.vim> https://github.com/davidoc/taskpaper.vim>. I just need to reconfigure vim's display of folded blocks so having all task comments folded is less painful.
dynamic99 13y ago
I'm still a huge fan of Vesper. It's the perfect TODO list. It just works.
moron4hire 13y ago
I've spent a lot of time thinking about TODO lists and trying different solutions. Eventually, I settled on a very specific means of using good, old, pen-and-paper. I think probably the most important feature of the TODO list is that it gives you mental clarity. Both the popular book "Getting Things Done" and a career couch I worked with for several months talk about the importance of clearing the mind before being able to begin work in earnest. If you have "do the laundry" stuck in your head, it's going to be a major hurdle for getting through work. So, having some sort of system to capture everything that needs to be done is essential for staying on task with work. So that means that the most important feature of TODO is capture. Any system that imposes overhead on capturing items for your TODO list will eventually fall out of habit. You'll start to mentally prioritize which things go on the list and which things do not. That ultimately defeats the purpose of the TODO list, to get things out of mind, squirreled away in a safe place. Thus, very formal issue trackers like BugZilla or Redmine (or anything else that has a separate "issue entry page") are far too cumbersome for capture. But being streamlined on capture is not the whole solution. Having used sites like PivotalTracker or Trello, I've fallen into traps of recording TOO much. Certain pie-in-the-sky tasks will sit in the list for months on end, getting no closer to ever getting worked on. It then becomes its own mental burden, worrying about whether or not certain TODO items will end up in that moribund pile. I even tried writing my own that had an arbitrary limit to the number of items I could enter. It just didn't feel right. It was always too easy to just bump up the limit and keep adding items. So with all of my experience with various activity and issue tracking systems, I went straight back to pen and paper. My system is very simple, but it is not from lack of design. Its simplicity is the design. I use an ink pen on a yellow legal pad. The pads are cheap and readily available. The ink requires strike-throughs for error corrections. I write in two columns, but only to be able to use all of the paper. There is no semantic difference between the two columns. I do not number things, unless I'm in crunch mode and am working very fast through a series of items. I am more likely to underline the high priority items, rather than number them. I don't think it's really possible to prioritize things any more than "things I'm working on in the next few hours" versus "things I'm not working on soon." Anything more than that really calls into question the entire concept of priority for me. It's easy enough to scan the list and figure out priority as I work. I can also rewrite the list with higher priority items at the top if necessary. Usually it's not necessary. Completed items get scratched out, fairly heavily. The goal is then to fill the page with ink. It becomes a motivating factor to finish the last few items on the list. The list is limited to 2 columns only and is not allowed to spill on to a second page. I rewrite the list either once a week or (more often) when the page is full to remove the completed items. I did three columns for a while, but it started to develop a deadpool at the bottom right end of the page, so I went back to two columns. Multiple pages would be even worse, and would make it harder to scan the total list. That basically means I'm limited to a max of 50 or so active items on my TODO list. I've found that, if I need much more than 50, then I've failed to manage my work correctly. The desire to record more is a signal that I'm procrastinating things and taking on too many commitments. And that's it. Any other feature of TODO list tracking is either too restricting on capture or too enabling on over capture. Pen and paper is it for me.
dsugarman 13y ago
it is pretty cool how you use the revision history for something unique, but this needs to be simplified greatly. It seems like if you made an app that automatically changes the list and updates git, it would be extremely efficient. I would put a create today's list link in that gives you a popup that you can fill out with just a task per line that turns into a checklist.
wcbeard10 13y ago
I recommend using gistbox [0]. It allows tagging and other features that make gist convenient as a todo list. [0]- http://www.gistboxapp.com/ http://www.gistboxapp.com/
knowtheory 13y ago
None of the complaints in this thread consider the utility of creating sharable checklists. The ability to quickly slam a checklist into a gist and share it with others is very handy.
gokulk 13y ago
I use workflowy and it works pretty nice
stickhandle 13y ago
Here's the thing ... the BEST to-do list is the one you use. Its that simple. For me, that's Workflowy.
- neves 13y ago
  the link: https://workflowy.com/ https://workflowy.com/
- ndr 13y ago
  I've forgot about this one, thanks for pointing it out!
res0nat0r 13y ago
I like Wunderlist. Cross platform, syncs and all kinds of other goodies. Can send to-do items to other people via their email addresses also. https://www.wunderlist.com/en/ https://www.wunderlist.com/en/
codereflection 13y ago
This is a nice idea. Gists are also cloneable, giving you the the power of git and any tooling that you want to use to update your list. Also, come on people, you all know that "Best" is subjective. This is the best tool for this guy, so there's no need to shoot it down.
- buro9 13y ago
  If the Android Github app were updated such that the Gist support was a little richer for things like Markdown and those checkboxes, then I really think this might be the best. The hardest bit I have with todo lists is keeping them current and accessible, meaning syncing across all devices and work-stations/laptops. Git is perfect for this, and this use of Github Flavored Markdown is pretty neat... the only missing thing is a mobile way to manage them efficiently.
  - codereflection 13y ago
    I've also found that the gist support on Android GitHub is poor. Hopefully this will improve in the future. The nice thing about GitHub is that they listen to feedback. Most likely someone there is reading these comments.
deleted 13y ago
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- loupeabody 13y ago
  I'm using Cal on Android, made by the same people. I've liked it so far, but I can't help but feel like I'm missing out on its potential integration with Any.do. Are you using Cal and Any.do in conjunction? If so, any glaring benefits?
desireco42 13y ago
I think wunderlist is pretty much what stayed with me for longest. Everything else kind of falls away. And paper of course :) I appreciate innovations in this space, however I stopped even trying new things as experience shows they don't bring much once novelty wears off.
- collyw 13y ago
  I keep on thinking about writing one that actually mirrors the way I think of tasks. I don't think of all tasks equally. I have long term things, that usually get put off until they are not so long term. Big things that can be subtasked. Small things. Important things. Things that need done by lunchtime. So far I have not seen one that does anything like this. Does anyone know of one? Anyway, writing it will be on my todo list.
designatedInit 13y ago
Shameless plug here, check out my iPhone app Begin: http://beginapp.co/ http://beginapp.co/ It's goal is to be an extremely simple to-do list. I'd love to hear what you guys think.
- ycmike 13y ago
  This looks super impressive. Angry I just left my iPhone in a cab :(
  - designatedInit 13y ago
    Thanks! Sorry about your phone :(
    - ycmike 13y ago
      haha. you didn't do it!
pkrumins 13y ago
You should try todoist - www.todoist.com. Todoist really is the best to-do list manager.
treetrouble 13y ago
I've tried a lot of programs but always come back to using a low-tech Gmail draft. In this particular case, the advantage over gist is that you can edit it offline on mobile (I ride the subway) and it syncs automatically
deadfall 13y ago
I use Evernote to create todo lists while programming. I name the title todo_[date] or note_[date] that way I can go back to dates in the list and see what I have missed. I see it as simple as gist todo lists but with IMO a better UI for better search/organization.
gautaml 13y ago
With Google Keep and Evernote, why would anyone want to use anything else? Personally I've switched to Keep since it fits in well with my Google ecosystem of apps
jlgaddis 13y ago
I haven't used it in years but this reminded me of TiddlyWiki [0], which will work whether you have Internet access or not. [0]: http://tiddlywiki.org/ http://tiddlywiki.org/
- paulyg 13y ago
  Tiddlywiki used to be my favorite thing for keeping todo lists and notes about whatever I am working on. It has not aged gracefully though. There have been several issues as web browsers have tightened permissions surrounding file:// URIs. It works on mobile but its very clunky. I wrote a simple http back end for it but every time I request the file ornsave I am sending 1MB+ of data across the network. The author of Tiddlywiki is working on a next gen version but its still lacking some things I want too see like offline use via indexeddb. All that being said I have been doing something similar to the OP but using Google Keep. It works offline, on mobile, or on the desktop.
doomrobo 13y ago
There isn't a decent client for Android that can edit a Gist very easily. I keep my to-do list either on Google Tasks or as Gmail draft.
aagha 13y ago
I'm continually astonished by the number of HN posts on what the best tool to do something is. The reality is that there are often different tools for different needs and there need NOT be just one tool to rule them all. I find that I keep short-term notes--need to know in in the next hour--in a notepad on my desktop. Tasks that need to be accomplished in the next day+ go into Google Tasks. Things that need elaboration, depth, detail go into Workflowy [0]. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSmbnaPZVHE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSmbnaPZVHE
apunic 13y ago
The best to-do list: a raw text file A line = a task Deleting a line = task finished A text file = a list of tasks related to some context The best and fastest editor for this on a Mac: NValt This is the most efficient and simple solution for managing plenty of todos, no cumbersome rules, check boxes, markdown, web interfaces.
- neves 13y ago
  Great! But I need: 1) to access it from my linux home PC; 2) access it from my windows work PC (I can't sync it using a version control since I can't store my proxy password in a cleartext file) 3) access it from my android tablet 4) Everything must be synched.
  - apunic 13y ago
    Just put the text file on Dropbox and use any available text editor on mentioned clients. Regarding pwds: I separate pwds and todos.
deleted 13y ago
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SilkRoadie 13y ago
I prefer a pen and paper. 1. Doesn't require a login 2. Is always visible on my desk and not lost behind a window. 3. Supports crude drawings. 4. Doesn't require power or an internet connection. I have yet to find an online equivilant which comes close to being as fast or useful as pen and paper for creating and maintaining a personal list of to-do's.

146 points by Ashuu 13y ago

I'm also a huge fan of todo lists. I like the simplicity of this approach. I still feel like Trello is better though. Trello is almost perfect. It's heavier for sure, but you gain a ton of flexibility and power. My wife and I put an old iPad up on our fridge and use Trello to maintain needed groceries, chores, household repairs, and upcoming events. Even better, these lists automatically sync to our phones and PCs. I can just head to the grocery store whenever I have a free moment and my grocery list is always up to date and ready for me.

pc86 13y ago
What do you use to keep the iPad on the fridge? We’ve been looking for a way to repurpose an old one of ours and this may be perfect.
- city41 13y ago
  We bought this: -- http://www.ebay.com/itm/Combo-Magnetic-Refrigerator-Fridge-Wall-Mount-Bracket-Dock-iPad-Gen-1-2-3-4-/310577417397?pt=US_Tablet_eReader_Mounts_Stands_Holders&hash=item484fdb4cb5 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Combo-Magnetic-Refrigerator-Fridge-W... but, the brackets are a bit too small, so the iPad doesn't fully sit well. The iPad does stay put and hasn't fallen yet, but I'd recommend trying another brand.
- aidenn0 13y ago
  Any old iPad mount you have, combined with good rare-earth magnets and a hot-glue gun.
Major_Grooves 13y ago
I just saved a bunch of Trello/GTD articles to my Evernote for reading on the train in a desperate attempt to have a decent to-do list for both personal, but mainly collaborative business use in 2014. Any tips?
- cenhyperion 13y ago
  1. Read Getting Things Done. It will change the way you look at approaching tasks. 2. Clear, approachable goals. "Ship the website" isn't something you can just do, "write unit tests for deletion of users" is. One of my favorite features of Trello is a checklist on a card, it allows you to break down actions into very defined actionable items. 3. Have a list of things you're going to take an action on today.
- scpotter 13y ago
  Focus on yourself first (personal and business aspects). That has more long term value, will contribute to your side of the collaboration improving, and puts you in a better position to scale to-dos. Read GTD. It will inspire you and provide a path to success, walking you through creating meaningful todo lists. Many become devout followers, but for me just the basics and patterns were great to build on. There are concepts similar to the 'backlog' from scrum/XP, where you add a placeholder for every idea or task even very large ones, but only flesh out and break down into actionable items the near term / high value items. Don't focus on tools, pen and paper are adequate, anything else is gravy. I use a location aware reminder app for short term/scheduled to-dos (iOS reminders, but before that Remember the Milk for years). The rest of the backlog and all details are in Evernote. Both are synced to all my devices (phone, ipad, laptop, etc) and available offline. If I were trying to achieve your goal I would set a recurring weekday reminder when I arrived at the train station in the morning called "GTD". Just enough to remind me what I need to do. In evernote I'd have a folder with a todo list, plus all the notes/articles. Every day I would get on the train, review my todo app, see GTD at the top, open evernote to that todo, review/prioritize it and make as many happen as possible. The todo list I'd start with would be: Buy GTD Read GTD Create todo for reading/implementing GTD Read / delete pointless articles Find todo apps Create more todo lists

thrush 13y ago

This is great, simple and easy. I wish that it didn't save a revision every time you checked an item. I'm more interested in keeping revisions on how my list items change. Granted, there could be some value in knowing when I completed items, but that being said, when you check an item is not necessarily when it was completed.

gkoberger 13y ago

For me, it's still paper. Specifically, this paper: http://www.amazon.com/Strathmore-Visual-Journal--Mixed-Media/dp/B003YIZ0HI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1388688389&sr=8-4&keywords=mixed+media+paper http://www.amazon.com/Strathmore-Visual-Journal--Mixed-Media... The spiral bound means it can be left open to the right page, and the thick paper is great. Version control (new pages) is built in. And the best part is that it's always right there in front of me, and I can glance down.

city41 13y ago
Is it just an empty pad? Or is there something printed on the pages to give some structure?
- flarg 13y ago
  Seems to 'just' thick paper that you can write on, paint on, stick things to - like a scrapbook (http://www.strathmoreartist.com/visual-journals.html http://www.strathmoreartist.com/visual-journals.html)
- merijnv 13y ago
  For me it's just empty lined paper. I much prefer that to all these fancy solutions.
- gkoberger 13y ago
  Empty pad -- I like it better that way. Sometimes my "TODO List" involves mockups or doodles, sometimes it involves sub-todo lists, etc. I like the flexibility. I also only use a red pen for checking things off. Not sure why; it just feels better.
flarg 13y ago
I agree - I've spent a lifetime trying to find the best to do solution (Microwriter Agenda, Psion 3, Palm, GTD, One Big Text File, David Seah's productivity tools, Superfocus, etc. etc.). Paper in the form of a hardbacked A4 notepad with context specific todo lists and a 2-week calendar seem to work well (inspired by GTD (for contexts), David Seah (for his obsession with functional paper) [1]) I'm also reliant on ZIM Desktop wiki [2] for the 'trusted system' for weekly review - of course, ZIM has a weird bug somewhere in the To Do list functionality that I've had to code around - so it's (not devastatingly) not as trustworthy... but that's life I guess Just trying out ActiveInbox [3] for managing Gmail better and seems to be working out nicely [1] http://davidseah.com/productivity-tools/ http://davidseah.com/productivity-tools/ [2] http://zim-wiki.org/ http://zim-wiki.org/ [3] http://www.activeinboxhq.com/index.php http://www.activeinboxhq.com/index.php

rza 13y ago

All the manual creation of checkboxes, deletion, and moving of tasks to me makes Gist far from "The Best" to-do list. Personally, I find the lighweight Google Tasks just fine, especially since there are many excellent mobile apps that sync with it and builtin support for multiple lists. I wish the URL for it was a bit more memorable though (https://mail.google.com/tasks/canvas?pli=1 https://mail.google.com/tasks/canvas?pli=1). The only thing missing is date completed, which I personally don't find very useful, but a calendar would probably be better if you want to keep track of that. Edit: Nevermind, it does save date completed.

Zikes 13y ago

I like that this is an option, and it's certainly a great option for some people, but calling it the "best" based on "it turns brackets into checkboxes!" is a bit of a stretch. I do think that gists could be an ideal platform for a more robust todo list, though. It could easily serve as a backend for todotxt [1], for example. [1] http://todotxt.com/ http://todotxt.com/

carlsednaoui 13y ago
Hi Zikes, author here: This is the best to-do list for me —given my current workflow. I'm in front of my browser with GitHub open 90% of the day and this option fits nicely with my day-to-day activities. That being said, I definitely think that the best to-do list depends on each person's workflow (the gist approach would be terrible for a real estate person that's always on the run, for example). Do you use http://todotxt.com/ http://todotxt.com/? I hadn't heard of it before, maybe it's worth giving it a shot :)
- Zikes 13y ago
  Hi Carl! I think we're in agreement, I can see gists being ideal for many people, I just didn't plug in that mental "for me" in the title. I have used todotxt in the past and it served me very well. It was originally developed as a simple bash script by Gina Trapani (of Lifehacker fame) and became such a hit that a strong community of developers formed around it, creating interfaces into the todotxt format in a variety of languages and environments. The fact that it stores all of its data in a single (or series of) simple text file(s) is what makes it really great, as it becomes portable, human-readable, and modifiable if you should find yourself needing to interact with your todo list without any of the tools or scripts handy. Unfortunately I haven't had a very good track record of keeping up with any of the many todo list applications or variations that I've tried, but every time I decide to try again I start with todotxt.
morganherlocker 13y ago
I use the todo.txt cli and it is awesome. t add "complete the pricing mocks" t 1 pri A t do 1 Nice and simple, and I can always open it up in a text editor if I need to. I might write something similar at some point though that would work with csv instead of txt. It would be a bit easier to use with a text editor (since there is no special syntax other than the csv standard), and could be passed around to excel users.

outside1234 13y ago

I just use a file in Dropbox. That is devastatingly effective for me - available across devices and offline.

carlsednaoui 13y ago
I like this approach, will definitely give it a try. How do you structure your dropbox file? Is it a simple running list of tasks? (.txt)
- outside1234 13y ago
  Yup - i have two files: work and personal and that's it. Just two files forces me to prioritize within these two spheres.
  - carlsednaoui 13y ago
    Interesting, I'll give this a go with my personal to-do (for that one I currently use a gdoc). Thanks for sharing!
breakall 13y ago
Agreed, this works great for notes, lists, etc. I keep notes in text files in my Dropbox -- on desktop, I use vim or SciTE, and on iOS I use the PlainText app to read/edit them.

davexunit 13y ago

Correction: The Best To-Do List: Org-Mode http://orgmode.org/ http://orgmode.org/

Cacti 13y ago
Combined with dropbox or some other remote storage and sync tool across multiple devices, this works wonders. There is an org-mode app for mobile devices as well. Of course people who dislike emacs might have a problem but it's quite hackable and there is nothing to keep one from associated .org files with emacs and using emacs just for todo lists (theres only about 5 or 8 commands in org-mode that you really have to know to be effective).
- Ixiaus 13y ago
  I had problems with conflicting files in dropbox / google drive so I just have a single directory with all of my org files in it versioned with a private Github repo. For private stuff I just use the :crypt: keyword org extension to encrypt that entry with my GPG key...
- CJefferson 13y ago
  I have always fancied learning org-mode, but I have had trouble finding a guide which doesn't assume I already know emacs. Do you have any suggestions?
  - Cacti 13y ago
    There are a couple links below but http://orgmode.org/worg/org-tutorials/org4beginners.html http://orgmode.org/worg/org-tutorials/org4beginners.html is also pretty good.
- kro0ub 13y ago
  What's the accepted most mature Vim equivalent or clone for org mode? Is there any?
  - chops 13y ago

asb 13y ago

I've been using my own minamilist todo-list manager for the last couple of year: https://github.com/asb/sh-todo https://github.com/asb/sh-todo However I've recently found I want to have some sort of task hierarchy, and to associate notes with tasks. I was going to just extend my text-based file format but luckily came across taskpaper which is pretty much exactly what I was aiming for. I'm now playing with taskpaper.vim and finding it promising: <https://github.com/davidoc/taskpaper.vim> https://github.com/davidoc/taskpaper.vim>. I just need to reconfigure vim's display of folded blocks so having all task comments folded is less painful.

dynamic99 13y ago

I'm still a huge fan of Vesper. It's the perfect TODO list. It just works.

moron4hire 13y ago

I've spent a lot of time thinking about TODO lists and trying different solutions. Eventually, I settled on a very specific means of using good, old, pen-and-paper. I think probably the most important feature of the TODO list is that it gives you mental clarity. Both the popular book "Getting Things Done" and a career couch I worked with for several months talk about the importance of clearing the mind before being able to begin work in earnest. If you have "do the laundry" stuck in your head, it's going to be a major hurdle for getting through work. So, having some sort of system to capture everything that needs to be done is essential for staying on task with work. So that means that the most important feature of TODO is capture. Any system that imposes overhead on capturing items for your TODO list will eventually fall out of habit. You'll start to mentally prioritize which things go on the list and which things do not. That ultimately defeats the purpose of the TODO list, to get things out of mind, squirreled away in a safe place. Thus, very formal issue trackers like BugZilla or Redmine (or anything else that has a separate "issue entry page") are far too cumbersome for capture. But being streamlined on capture is not the whole solution. Having used sites like PivotalTracker or Trello, I've fallen into traps of recording TOO much. Certain pie-in-the-sky tasks will sit in the list for months on end, getting no closer to ever getting worked on. It then becomes its own mental burden, worrying about whether or not certain TODO items will end up in that moribund pile. I even tried writing my own that had an arbitrary limit to the number of items I could enter. It just didn't feel right. It was always too easy to just bump up the limit and keep adding items. So with all of my experience with various activity and issue tracking systems, I went straight back to pen and paper. My system is very simple, but it is not from lack of design. Its simplicity is the design. I use an ink pen on a yellow legal pad. The pads are cheap and readily available. The ink requires strike-throughs for error corrections. I write in two columns, but only to be able to use all of the paper. There is no semantic difference between the two columns. I do not number things, unless I'm in crunch mode and am working very fast through a series of items. I am more likely to underline the high priority items, rather than number them. I don't think it's really possible to prioritize things any more than "things I'm working on in the next few hours" versus "things I'm not working on soon." Anything more than that really calls into question the entire concept of priority for me. It's easy enough to scan the list and figure out priority as I work. I can also rewrite the list with higher priority items at the top if necessary. Usually it's not necessary. Completed items get scratched out, fairly heavily. The goal is then to fill the page with ink. It becomes a motivating factor to finish the last few items on the list. The list is limited to 2 columns only and is not allowed to spill on to a second page. I rewrite the list either once a week or (more often) when the page is full to remove the completed items. I did three columns for a while, but it started to develop a deadpool at the bottom right end of the page, so I went back to two columns. Multiple pages would be even worse, and would make it harder to scan the total list. That basically means I'm limited to a max of 50 or so active items on my TODO list. I've found that, if I need much more than 50, then I've failed to manage my work correctly. The desire to record more is a signal that I'm procrastinating things and taking on too many commitments. And that's it. Any other feature of TODO list tracking is either too restricting on capture or too enabling on over capture. Pen and paper is it for me.

dsugarman 13y ago

it is pretty cool how you use the revision history for something unique, but this needs to be simplified greatly. It seems like if you made an app that automatically changes the list and updates git, it would be extremely efficient. I would put a create today's list link in that gives you a popup that you can fill out with just a task per line that turns into a checklist.

wcbeard10 13y ago

I recommend using gistbox [0]. It allows tagging and other features that make gist convenient as a todo list. [0]- http://www.gistboxapp.com/ http://www.gistboxapp.com/

knowtheory 13y ago

None of the complaints in this thread consider the utility of creating sharable checklists. The ability to quickly slam a checklist into a gist and share it with others is very handy.

gokulk 13y ago

I use workflowy and it works pretty nice

stickhandle 13y ago

Here's the thing ... the BEST to-do list is the one you use. Its that simple. For me, that's Workflowy.

neves 13y ago
the link: https://workflowy.com/ https://workflowy.com/
ndr 13y ago
I've forgot about this one, thanks for pointing it out!

res0nat0r 13y ago

I like Wunderlist. Cross platform, syncs and all kinds of other goodies. Can send to-do items to other people via their email addresses also. https://www.wunderlist.com/en/ https://www.wunderlist.com/en/

codereflection 13y ago

This is a nice idea. Gists are also cloneable, giving you the the power of git and any tooling that you want to use to update your list. Also, come on people, you all know that "Best" is subjective. This is the best tool for this guy, so there's no need to shoot it down.

buro9 13y ago
If the Android Github app were updated such that the Gist support was a little richer for things like Markdown and those checkboxes, then I really think this might be the best. The hardest bit I have with todo lists is keeping them current and accessible, meaning syncing across all devices and work-stations/laptops. Git is perfect for this, and this use of Github Flavored Markdown is pretty neat... the only missing thing is a mobile way to manage them efficiently.
- codereflection 13y ago
  I've also found that the gist support on Android GitHub is poor. Hopefully this will improve in the future. The nice thing about GitHub is that they listen to feedback. Most likely someone there is reading these comments.

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loupeabody 13y ago
I'm using Cal on Android, made by the same people. I've liked it so far, but I can't help but feel like I'm missing out on its potential integration with Any.do. Are you using Cal and Any.do in conjunction? If so, any glaring benefits?

desireco42 13y ago

I think wunderlist is pretty much what stayed with me for longest. Everything else kind of falls away. And paper of course :) I appreciate innovations in this space, however I stopped even trying new things as experience shows they don't bring much once novelty wears off.

collyw 13y ago
I keep on thinking about writing one that actually mirrors the way I think of tasks. I don't think of all tasks equally. I have long term things, that usually get put off until they are not so long term. Big things that can be subtasked. Small things. Important things. Things that need done by lunchtime. So far I have not seen one that does anything like this. Does anyone know of one? Anyway, writing it will be on my todo list.

designatedInit 13y ago

Shameless plug here, check out my iPhone app Begin: http://beginapp.co/ http://beginapp.co/ It's goal is to be an extremely simple to-do list. I'd love to hear what you guys think.

ycmike 13y ago
This looks super impressive. Angry I just left my iPhone in a cab :(
- designatedInit 13y ago
  Thanks! Sorry about your phone :(
  - ycmike 13y ago
    haha. you didn't do it!

pkrumins 13y ago

You should try todoist - www.todoist.com. Todoist really is the best to-do list manager.

treetrouble 13y ago

I've tried a lot of programs but always come back to using a low-tech Gmail draft. In this particular case, the advantage over gist is that you can edit it offline on mobile (I ride the subway) and it syncs automatically

deadfall 13y ago

I use Evernote to create todo lists while programming. I name the title todo_[date] or note_[date] that way I can go back to dates in the list and see what I have missed. I see it as simple as gist todo lists but with IMO a better UI for better search/organization.

gautaml 13y ago

With Google Keep and Evernote, why would anyone want to use anything else? Personally I've switched to Keep since it fits in well with my Google ecosystem of apps

jlgaddis 13y ago

I haven't used it in years but this reminded me of TiddlyWiki [0], which will work whether you have Internet access or not. [0]: http://tiddlywiki.org/ http://tiddlywiki.org/

paulyg 13y ago
Tiddlywiki used to be my favorite thing for keeping todo lists and notes about whatever I am working on. It has not aged gracefully though. There have been several issues as web browsers have tightened permissions surrounding file:// URIs. It works on mobile but its very clunky. I wrote a simple http back end for it but every time I request the file ornsave I am sending 1MB+ of data across the network. The author of Tiddlywiki is working on a next gen version but its still lacking some things I want too see like offline use via indexeddb. All that being said I have been doing something similar to the OP but using Google Keep. It works offline, on mobile, or on the desktop.

doomrobo 13y ago

There isn't a decent client for Android that can edit a Gist very easily. I keep my to-do list either on Google Tasks or as Gmail draft.

aagha 13y ago

I'm continually astonished by the number of HN posts on what the best tool to do something is. The reality is that there are often different tools for different needs and there need NOT be just one tool to rule them all. I find that I keep short-term notes--need to know in in the next hour--in a notepad on my desktop. Tasks that need to be accomplished in the next day+ go into Google Tasks. Things that need elaboration, depth, detail go into Workflowy [0]. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSmbnaPZVHE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSmbnaPZVHE

apunic 13y ago

The best to-do list: a raw text file A line = a task Deleting a line = task finished A text file = a list of tasks related to some context The best and fastest editor for this on a Mac: NValt This is the most efficient and simple solution for managing plenty of todos, no cumbersome rules, check boxes, markdown, web interfaces.

neves 13y ago
Great! But I need: 1) to access it from my linux home PC; 2) access it from my windows work PC (I can't sync it using a version control since I can't store my proxy password in a cleartext file) 3) access it from my android tablet 4) Everything must be synched.
- apunic 13y ago
  Just put the text file on Dropbox and use any available text editor on mentioned clients. Regarding pwds: I separate pwds and todos.

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SilkRoadie 13y ago

I prefer a pen and paper. 1. Doesn't require a login 2. Is always visible on my desk and not lost behind a window. 3. Supports crude drawings. 4. Doesn't require power or an internet connection. I have yet to find an online equivilant which comes close to being as fast or useful as pen and paper for creating and maintaining a personal list of to-do's.